This is a delightfully light and airy cheesecake. Make sure that the ingredients are at room temperature especially the cream cheese. The lightness of this dessert is accomplished by the nice refreshing spark from the lemon and the creaming of the creamcheese. My boss doesn’t like cheesecake, but after tasting the cheesecake she wanted her own slice. The look on people’s face and the sounds that we made by those enjoying the cheesecake is worth it.
Crust:
18 Each Graham Cracker, or 1 package
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 Stick Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Filling:
16 Ounces Cream Cheese
2 Each Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
1 Each Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1. Base: Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.
2. Filling: Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed — as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice. Garnish with powdered sugar and lemon zest.
8 Ounces Chardonnay
8 Ounces Heavy Cream
1 Large Onion, roasted
2 Large Red Pepper, roasted
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Pound Boneless Chicken, cut into strips
1/2 Pound Shrimp
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pound Noodles
3 Cloves Garlic, roasted
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Each Lemom Zest
4 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped
Roast garlic, red pepper and onion in 400º oven for 20 minutes. Place roasted vegetables in saucepan with 12 oz of Chardonnay. Reduce by 1/2. Place reduce wine and vegatables in a blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through a very fine strainer. Return to a saucepan and add chicken stock. reduce by 1/2. Set aside and let cool. Prepare chicken with salt and pepper. Set up a breading station with flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Cook noodles and set aside. Lightly salt and pepper the shrimp and dredge in flour shaking off the excess. Saute in a saute pan for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Add parsley, salt and pepper and lemon zest to the bread crumbs. Bread chicken and set aside for about 20 minutes. Heat 2 tablsepoon olive oil over medium head and cook chick until golden brown in batches. Should take 3-4 minutes for each side. Set chicken aside on a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile add cream to chicken stock and bring to simmer over medilum heat. Cook mixture over mediulm heat for 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 5 minutes more. Lay noodles on the plate , add several shrimp and the spoon over the chicken sauce mixtutre. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.
1 medium Fennel
1 Large Red Pepper
½ Medium Onion
½ Carrot Stick
1 Cup Chardonnay
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Cups Cream
1 oz Parmesan
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp canola oil
1 pound fettuccine
2 each andouille sausage
2 tbsp parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta and set aside. Chop andouille into ½ cubes. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Set aside to cool and reserve oil from the sausage.
Preheat oven to 400º. Cut fennel lengthwise through the core ¼ inch thick. Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss fennel in oil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Place on a parchment lined tray and bake for 20 minutes. Turn fennel over to expose underside and bake for another 12 – 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Cut red pepper into four pieces lengthwise. Remove the rib in the center of each piece of red pepper. On another parchment lined tray, toss the red pepper in 1 tbsp of canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
Cut and trim the carrot. Cut into 1/8 inch slices lengthwise. Over low heat in a sauté pan, add 1 tbsp of canola oil and cook until carrot is tender. Do not let the carrot burn. Cook until the carrot starts to create syrup like consistency. If necessary, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until carrot is tender. Set carrot aside to cool.
In a sauce pan, over medium heat sauté chopped onion in reserved oil and 1 tbsp canola oil. Sauté the onion until it is translucent. Add 1 cup of Chardonnay and cook and reduced to ¼ cup. Add the chicken stock and cook until mixture is reduced to ½ cup. Add the cream and cook until the mixture is reduced to 1 ½ cup. Place reduced cream along with carrot and fennel in a blender. Blend until mixture is smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer into the saucepan. Heat the sauce but do not let it boil. Once it reaches a simmer, remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese. If sauce needs to thicken simply add 1 to 2 tbsp of cold butter to the sauce. Add 1 tbsp at a time. Keep sauce warm.
Heat a sauté pan until warm then add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Heat until the oil is warm add the pasta and toss for about 1 minute. Add the red pepper and toss for about 1 more minute. Place pasta on a plate and pour the sauce over the pasta, and then sprinkle with andouille and parsley. Serve immediately.
1/3 Cup Yogurt, Skim Milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Teaspoons Chopped Green Onions
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Capers
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Tarragon
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Dash Hot Pepper Sauce
1 anchovy mashed
Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and allow to chill at least 2 hours before using. You may substitute 1/3 cup of yogurt with mayonnaise. Yogurt was used to lower the calories and impart its slightly tart flavor.
2 2/3 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Yeast
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Warm Water
1 Teaspoon Rosemary, 4 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1/4 Teaspoon Basil
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
This is a simple no-fuss focaccia. You can pour all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and stir and then add all of your liquids in a seperate bowl and stir. You can then pour the contents of the wet into the dry and simply stir until the mixture comes together. Then you can knead the dough about 5 -7 minutes or until it springs back. I baked at 400º F for 20 minutes.
The smell of fresh bread baking in the oven is an aroma that can soften the meanest of people. The aroma is even better when the bread has fresh rosemary as one of it’s main ingredients. My wife never really liked bread until I started making this Rosemary Focaccia Bread. It is light and airy and the flavor is intensified when toped with a little salt and olive oil. The match was one made in heaven. In fact with a few toppings, this bread can serve as an appetizer or a meal. Why not try it with sauted mushrooms, reduced white wine add flavor from a nice chicken stock and cooked down with fresh parmesan cheese and finsihed with a small amount of cream. You can also use regular milk to achieve the right consistency simply reduce the mixture a little longer. Top the focaccia with the mushroom mixture and enjoy.
4 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Yeast
1 2/3 Cups Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Set oven to 425º. Place a tray in the oven during preheating so that the tray is very hot. In a small bowl, mix the yeast and 2/3 cup of water. Water should be 110º. Add 1 cup of flour and stir. Pour 1/2 cup of flour over the mixture. Cover slightly and set in a corner to rest about 45 minutes. This will allow the yeast to develop and will start to give the bread flavor. Add the remaining flour, salt, olive oil and vinegar. Knead dough and the set aside to rise approximately 1 hour or until dough doubles. Mixture makes slightly more than 16 oz loaves. Cut dough in half and shape the dough Roll the dough out into a square.
Fold dough over approximately 1/3 of the way lengthwise from the bottom and press to make sure that there is no air in the dough. Repeat pulling the dough from the top 1/3 and pressing to make sure that there is no air. Now where the dough overlapped, pinch the dough to make sure that you seal the seam. This is crucial because if the dough isn’t sealed it will blow-out on the sides. Place the dough on a sheet tray seam side down. I prefer to cut lines in the dough now which is much easier than cutting it later. This allows for steam to escape. You may lightly dust with flour. When you are ready to bake, put 1 to 2 ice cubes in the tray that was preheated and then place your bread above the preheated tray with ice. This will help with color and crust development.
Do not be tempted to put a lot of ice cubes in the tray as you will be very disappointed. Try 1 cube and if you don’t like the color then you may try using two cubes. Bake until done. You will be able to tell if the bread is done by color and the sound of the dough. After 25 minutes, test to see if the bread is done. It should have a hollow sound when thumped lightly on the bottom with your thumb. Good luck and enjoy as there is nothing better than the smell of fresh bread baking other than the taste of a successful loaf.
2.5 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes
5 cloves of garlic
7 tablespoons of olive oil
8 oz cream room temperature
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoon butter
Take 3 tablespoons of olive oil and rub down the potatoes well. The salt the potatoes and place them on a sheet tray or pan and roast them at 400º for about 50 minutes. Set aside and let cool about 5 minutes. While potatoes are baking, place 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan and cook over the lowest heat possible. You want to cook the garlic for 25 – 30 minutes without if burning. The garlic will take on a slight amber color. Once the garlic has cooked for 30 minutes, turn the heat off; mash it well with a fork. Add your thyme, tarragon, paprika, salt and pepper. Let it infuse the oil for about 20 minutes. Add the tablespoon of butter to the sauce pan and melt the butter slowly. Once the butter is melted, peel the potatoes and add the mixture from the saucepan. Stir to incorporate. Slowly fold in the cream and serve immediately.
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup champaigne vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Heat wine and vinegar over medium heat. Reduce by half. Add sugar and continue to cook until syrupy and 1/2 cup remains.
Dipping Sauce
1/2 Cup Lime Juice, cup
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
6 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 Tablespoons Cilantro
2 Teaspoons Jalapeno, chopped
This sauce is great for spring rolls. Make sure you get very thin rice paper. Enjoy…
Blend 1 cup of light stock such as chicken, fish or vegetable with 2 cups of Bechamel Sauce. Bring to boiling point and reduce to simmer then stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup each of grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses. Do not boil after adding cheese. You can use swiss cheese in place of the Gruyere but you will really cut out a lot of flavor. Bite the bullet and buy the Gruyere…
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/16 teaspoon white pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in flour. Stir and cook over medium heat do not let mixture brown. Remove from heat and add the milk. Stir and bring to a boil. Add cream, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds. Do not overcook .
1 Each Chicken Breast Half Without Skin
3 Tablespoons Panko
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 Cup Spinach
25 Each Pine Nut
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 1/2 Ounces Orzo
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Prepare Orzo according to package. Set your oven to 200º F. Lightly bread the chicken by dipping in flour and dusting off excess flour. Dip in egg that has been lightly whipped. For added flavor, you may lightly season the egg with salt and pepper. Roll in panko that has been mixed with the parmesan. In a saute pan over medium heat saute the chicken until golden brown on both sides. This may take 4 minutes for each side. Set chicken in the oven to keep warm. If Orzo is ready you may plate the Orzo and place in the oven to keep warm. In a hot skillet, add 1 tbsp of butter and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes add the spinach and saute 30 seconds continuously tossing. Remove immediately. Wipe pan clean and add 1 tablespoon butter and saute the pine nuts until they very aromatic. To plate, lay the chicken breast over the Orzo, then place the spinach on the chicken breast. Pour the pine nuts and honey over the chicken and serve immediately. Enjoy!!!
Salad:
2 Cups Spinach
1 Large Orange
1 Tablespoon Red Onion
Dressing:
1 1/2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Orange Zest
3/4 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 Teaspoons Honey
1/8 Teaspoon Ginger
1 1/2 Teaspoons Sesame Seeds
Well the temperature is rising. It’s getting hot outside and you probably need to eat somethng light. Try this nice refreshing salad.
1 cup yogurt ( * Greek style if you can find it )
1 cup English cucumber diced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped shallots
Mix yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, dill, and shallots in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving. You can use regular yogurt but you should allow it strain several hours prior to incorporating it into the dish. Use a strainer or cheese cloth and let it drain in the refrigerator for several hours or over night.
1 1/2 cup red wine
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1 sticks cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp cloves
3 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored
Honeyed Cream Cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup half and half
1 tbsp honey
Mix wine, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla and cloves in a pot on a medium heat. Bring to a boil reduce to a simmer. Add pears and cook until pears are tender about 20 minute. Remove pears from liquid and cook liquid for an additional 15 mins.
The liquid will reduce to form a syrup. Bring the cream cheese and half and half to room temperature. While the wine reduces, mix cream cheese, half and half and honey. Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Fan pears on plate and drizzle with syrup. Add 1 tablespoon of honeyed cream cheese on top.
I love all your recipe specially Spinach and Orange Salad. Thanks for sharing them I hope you may update these list. Thanks. If you wont mind I’d love to guide Foodista readers to your post. Just add the foodista widget to the end of this post so it will appear in the Foodista pages and it’s all set, Thanks!